It's Sunday
...so there must be a sermon about somewhere
et voila, c'est ici... (well, the full text is, a taster below so you can decide whether or not it is worth the effort of clicking to go to my 'new kid deep stuff' page to read the whole thing.)
A quick note, though, to say that this is a very contextual sermon, I wrote it (I think with some help from God) for my service this morning with something of our vision and calling in this fellowship in mind. From the feedback I got, I'm pretty sure it was the sermon I was meant to preach this morning - and it's not always that i can say that!
‘Do you love me’
There are two ways in which we could interpret Jesus’ question to Peter from our Gospel this morning ‘Do you love me more than these?’
Firstly Jesus might be asking Peter, as many translations seem to suggest. ‘Peter, do you love me more than the others here do?’ Perhaps asking him if he is able to bear the responsibility placed on him when Jesus said ‘You will be called Peter (which means ‘rock’) and on this rock I will build my Church’.
Secondly Jesus might be asking ‘do you love me more than these other things in your life’ – following on from the fishing (which had been Simon Peter’s livelihood before following Jesus) and in which much of his life would have been invested. In this way Jesus might well be asking ‘do you love me more than security, peace, a safe living, home, perhaps even family and friends – do you love me more than any of these things?’
Both translations are valid. The Greek word is not terribly clear. And I think, in the way that scripture often does, there is a point to this. I think it is a question that is meant to mean both things. Is your love for me greater than anything else? Does your love for me strive to be greater than anyone else’s love for me, and greater than your love for any thing else in the world?’ More here
et voila, c'est ici... (well, the full text is, a taster below so you can decide whether or not it is worth the effort of clicking to go to my 'new kid deep stuff' page to read the whole thing.)
A quick note, though, to say that this is a very contextual sermon, I wrote it (I think with some help from God) for my service this morning with something of our vision and calling in this fellowship in mind. From the feedback I got, I'm pretty sure it was the sermon I was meant to preach this morning - and it's not always that i can say that!
‘Do you love me’
There are two ways in which we could interpret Jesus’ question to Peter from our Gospel this morning ‘Do you love me more than these?’
Firstly Jesus might be asking Peter, as many translations seem to suggest. ‘Peter, do you love me more than the others here do?’ Perhaps asking him if he is able to bear the responsibility placed on him when Jesus said ‘You will be called Peter (which means ‘rock’) and on this rock I will build my Church’.
Secondly Jesus might be asking ‘do you love me more than these other things in your life’ – following on from the fishing (which had been Simon Peter’s livelihood before following Jesus) and in which much of his life would have been invested. In this way Jesus might well be asking ‘do you love me more than security, peace, a safe living, home, perhaps even family and friends – do you love me more than any of these things?’
Both translations are valid. The Greek word is not terribly clear. And I think, in the way that scripture often does, there is a point to this. I think it is a question that is meant to mean both things. Is your love for me greater than anything else? Does your love for me strive to be greater than anyone else’s love for me, and greater than your love for any thing else in the world?’ More here
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